Car-loading apparatus



(N0 Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 1. C. W. UNDERWOOD. GAR LOADING APPARATUS.

Patented my 2o, 1897.

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lill! lill-Il @No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

G. W. UNDERWOOD. UAR LOADING APPARATUS.

No, zf-Y Patented July 20, 1897.

www y Il `IgcarJm rUNITED STATES' PATENT Ormes..

CHARLES w. UNDunwooD, oF JnANnnu'rrn, Louismm.

CAR-LOADING APPARATUS.

v sPEcIFIcATIoN forminglprt of Letters Patent No. 586,641, dated .my 2o, 1897.

Application filed September Z6. 1896. Serial No. 607,103. (No model.)

To au whom it may concern,.-

receive baggage.

`Be it known that I, CHARLES W.UNDEn WOOD, al'cit'izen of the United States, residing at Jeaneette, in the parish of Iberia and State of Louisiana,have invented a new and uscfnl Car-Loading Apparatus, of which the following is afspeci. sation.

My invention relates to car-loadingdeviccs, and has for`its .object to provide means arranged wholly within the car tor facilitating .the introductionand removal of baggage, the

elevation o f the same to the level ot the can door being accomplished by a motive agent,` such as compressed air, and, furthermore, to provide means. in connection with. the loading apparatus for spanning theiinterval between the side of a'oar and the contiguous yedge of a stationar Y platform, wheieby trucks and similar articles may be conveyed directly from,v the platform to the car without effort upon the part of the operators.

Further objects and advantages of this invent-ion will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointedroutin the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a loading vapparatus constructed in accordance with my inventionapplied in the operative position toa car, the same being shown lowered and extended iu position to Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same folded. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on thelline 3 3 of `Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectionon the line 4 4 of Fig. 2 to show the relativearrangeme'm of t-he opposite duplicate loading devices. Fig. 5 is a detail vertical section of one of the extensible guides and contiguous parts, thesame -being shown contracted in full lines and extended in dotted lines. Fig. 6 is a detail View of a portion of one of the extensible guides and the conT tigglousV portion 'of aslide and pawl, said parte being shown detached. Fig. 7 is a detail verticalsection of one of the main cylinders and lcontiguous parts.

Similar numerals of reference indicate cor respondingparts in all the figures of the drawxngs.

The apparatus embodying my invent-ion consists, essentially, of an elevator let into the lplane of the frame of a baggage-car door l, said elevator having a floor 2, which. is

adapted to be arranged with ils upper surfaci (lush with that of said stationary floor l, an( means for operating thc elevator, whercbyi may bc lowered approximately to the plain of the track to receive baggage and the] raised into thev car to allow thc load to lr moved to thc ends of the car.

l ln the construction illustrated in thc draw ings an elevating deviceis arranged contigu ons to each car-door, each elevator being i width approximately equal to onc'fourth th width of the car, whereby the timbers at th conter of the ear for a distance equal to al proxliinately one-half the width ol thc latte are intact; but a platform 2, which forms part ot' the elevating device and which who in its folded position is arranged in the plan of the stationary portion of the cz\1iloor, l equal to one-hall' the width of thc ca r, where by thc inner edges of the platforms carried b the oppositeclcvators are in Contact, as show in Fig. 4.

inasmuch as the opposite elevators and th means for operating thc same are duplicati in construction, it will suilice to describe bl one,y particularly in view of the fact that sai elevators may be independently operated i provide for loading from either side of tl car.

The framework of the elevator (illustrati in the drawings) consists of longitud iual tizi bers 3, connected by trausvtn'sc bars 4, tl outer transverse Vbars having their lucir sides grooved to form .guides 5 to rccci vslide-bars G ou the under side ol' the elevato platform Said slides are preferably dor tailed in cross-section andv rest upon aut frictionfrolls 8, arranged iu the lower sid` of the guide-grooves. locking-bolts 9 a employed at the extremities ol the clcvat to secure the latter in. its folded or elevan position, said bolts being l'n-et'crabl y arrangi in pairs adapted for simultaneous mov nient, and each pair of bolts is operative connected with thc movable platform ol t elevator, whereby as said platform is p1 jected or lextended laterally thc bolts will withdrawn from engagement w ith the socks Il in the main frame of the car. '.lhe mea shown in the ldrawings for thus operating t locking-bolts consist of studs or pins l2,

the underside oi' the elevator-platform, t

gaging diagonally-disposed or cam guides 13,

v supported by v sible guide, I employ f to a point near the plane of the track the bolts, said guides being di erged toward the side of the car and serving to connect the bolts in pairs for simultaneous movement.

Arranged at the outer angles of the elevator are slides 14, to operate in pendent stationary guides 15,- supported by the main frame of the car at opposite sides of the dooropening, and said headsor castings 16, secured to 'the ends of the frame of the elevator, the means for elevating the frame being attached to said crossheads.

In order to provide for lowering the frame and at the same time avoid the permanent arrangement of the guides in such positions as to beliableto come 'in contact with obstructions upon the track, the guides are constructed to provide for their telescoping members. The lower or movable members 15a are provided with stems 17, which fit in bores of the stationary members 15", and the channel 18, of which each member of a guide is provided with a part, is prefcrably rectangular in cross-section, and that portion which is formed in the movable member being of sufficient length tovreceive the slide, whereby when the'slidecomes in contact with the shoulder 19, by which the lower end of the chanuelis closed, the movable portion of the guide is depressed with the slide.

y In order to provide 'for the subsequentelcvation. of the movable member of the extena spring-actuated pawl 20, mounted in the inner or rear side ofthe slide in contact with the vdoor of the guidechannel, the upper end ofthe channel in the movable portion of the guide being closed by' a lipor shoulder 2l, with which said pawl is engaged when the slide has been elevatedsutticiently to bring its upper end contiguous to the upper end of said movable "member,

,Depending from the lower extremity ot' the fixed or stationary portion of the guide is a trip-finger 22, having a beveled outer surface which is'adapted to disengage the pawl from guide, andinthe i'ioor of said keyway is prothe lip or shoulder at the upper end of the movable member of the guide when the upper extremity is brought into contact with the lower 'extremity of the fixed member. In other words, the trip-linger is arranged to extend through a central opening in sufficient distance to pass the lip or shoulder.

In order to prevent rotation of' the stem o'r interior portion of the guide, I preferably pro-...`

vide the same with a keyway 23, in which operates they nose of a locking-pawl 24., which is mounted upon the fixed'mexnbcr of the vided 'a notch 25 for engagement by the nose ol' said locking-pawl whenthe platform is in its elevated position. The upper side of'the slides are attached to cross,Y l

extension and consist of' vopening 3f) in the cross-head thelip or shoulder at lthe upper end ofthe movable memnose of the pawl is beveled, whereby, while the resistance offered by the pawl by reason ofa strong actuati'ngspring 26 is capable of holding the-movableimember in its elevated position, sufticient depressing force can be applied to cause the disengagement of the pawl by the contact upper side ofthevnotch to allow said member of the guide to be lowered with theA platform.

In other words, the locking-paw] constitu-tes;l

with its beveled surface of the a temporary holding device for the movable member of the guide to prevent the accidental displacement thereof when the 'car is in mo tion. f 1 `-'-"."-"""fQ The means illustrated in the drawings for operating the elevator include cylinders 27, arranged within the car upon opposite sides of and contiguous to the dooropening, sai cylinders having open upper ends, and" in each cylinder is arranged a piston 28, having itsrod 2flattached to one of the cross-heads at the extremities of theframe of the elevator. In communication with each cylinder, at its lower end, is a valve-chest 30, in which is disposed a slide-valve 31, connected to a valve-stem 32, and the valve-stems of the two cylinders, which are with each elevator, are connected to orankarms 33 on a common operating-shaft 3l, having a hand-lever 35..4r Suitablelocking devices 3G are employedinconn'ection with said handlever to secure it in the desired position and prevent accidental displacement. c

vTire inlet-portt of the' valve-chest ism'co'n'" nected with a supply-pipe 37, adapted to be connected with a suitable reservoir or source of motive agent, (not shown,) and the exhaust of each cylinder vis through the piston rod, which is hollow ortubular and is provided conti-guous to theplane of the pistonhead with an opening or port 38. The bore ot the piston-rod communicates with acored or casting to which said rod is attached, and in c mlnunication with the cored opening or ca ity is a conveyerO, which extends longitudinally of the platform and is branched, as at Atl, to convey motive agent to an operating device for the movableplatform of the elevator, said operating device consisting of, a transverselyarranged do'uble-actin g auxiliary cylinder 42, arranged upon 'the elevator and having the rod t3 ot its piston form. Valve-chcsts15 are arranged in communication, by means of inlet-ports 46, with op'posite ends of the auxiliary cylinder and being, respectivclyin communication with the branches of the' feed-pipeor conveyer 40.

'lhevalves 47 ,in said chests are carried by a 120111111911. Smm 4S,

which is connected by means ,ofi a erank'49 with a rock-shaft 50,

lmounted,,longitudinally upon the elevator andhzA ig an operating-handle 5l, provided 44 attached to the plat employed in connection with suitable locking vdevices 52 to prevent accidental displacement.' l

i The operation of the loading apparatus,

briefly described, lsvas "follows: NVhen the parts are in the closed or folded position illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, and 4 iand itis desired to lower the elevator to receive baggage, the hand-lever, which is operatively connected with the main-cylinder valve mechanism, is moved to open the main valves, and thus allow the communication of pressure to the interior of the main cylinders, and hence the removal of the weight of the elevator andV connections from the longitudinally-slidable lockingfbolts by which the elevator is held inits normal position. By reason of the hollow piston-rod and connections the pressure communicated to the interior of `the main cylinders is also conveyed to the Valve-chests of the auxiliary cylinder, and hence when the hand-lever is movedto open the auxiliary valve at the rear or inner end of thev auxiliary 'cylinder (and at the same time conneet the .outer end .of said cylinder with its exhaust-port) the piston in the auxiliary cylinder is advanced to carry the movable platform of the elevator-outwardly. lThe extension of the platform disengages the lockingbolts of the elevator from their sockets in the main frame and thus leaves the elevator suspended upon the main piston-rods and hence supported by the pressure in the main cylinders. HLl'pon the reduction of pressure in the main cylinders, by opening communication between the interior thereof and the exhaustposts 52, the elevator is allowed to descend by gravity-until the proper depression has The downward movement of the elevator may be checked at any point by closing `the exhaust, and .the .excessive-depression may be corrected by openingthe inlet-ports to increase the pressure in the cyl- ,inders To return the parts to their normal positions, and thus elevate baggage' to the level of the floor of the car and carry the same thereintc, the inlet-valves of the main cylin# ders are opened to admit motive agent, and subsequently the auxiliary valves are operv ated to open the port at the outer end of the auxiliary cylinderand connect the other with the exhaust,whereb y the platform is retracted or drawn inwardly, thus extending the locking-bolts and securing the elevator, as before described. As the slides which are located upon the extremities of the elevator descend in the depending guides provided therefor the movable members of the guides retain their normal or elevated ositions until said slides come in contact Wit 'the stops or shoulders at the lower extremities of said members, after which any subsequent depression of the elevator will cause a corresponding depression of the movable members of; the guides, the downward pressure imparted to Said movable m embers by means of the weight ofthe elevator being suiiicient to detach the stems of said'movable members from the lo'cking-pawls by which they are normally held in their elevated positions. Upon the return or upward movement of the elevator the extensions or movable members ofthe guides are elevated by the contact of .the pawls on said slide with the stops on shoulders at the-upper ends of the portions of the' channel formed in said extensions 6r movable members, and when said extensions reach their normal positions, with their upper extremities in contact with the lower .extremities of the fixed positions of the guides, they are locked by the means hereinbefore described.

Various changes in the form,proportion,4

and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invent-ion.

ll'aving described my invention, what l claim isl. A baggage-ear having a separate permanently horizontal lloor-seetion adapted to normally occupy a position in the plane of the main portion of the ear-licor, and means for lowering said section and returning the same to its normal position, substantially as specified.

2. A baggage-ear having' a fixed or perinanent main floor-section out away contiguous to the ear-door to form an opening, and a movable floor-section fitted in the opening and adapted to normally occupy a position with its upper surface in the plane of the main floor-section, and means for lowering` the movable door-section and returning the same to its' normal position, substantially as speciied.

v 3. A baggage-car having its lloor eut away contiguous to a door-opening to form a. looropening having an open outer side, a movable floor-section adapted to fit in said flooropening in the plane of the floor of the car, and operating devices for displacing," the 'licorsection and returning it to its 'normal position, substantially as specified.

et. A car-loading' device having an elevator operating in an opening in the ear-licor, and carrying,r a horizontally-movable platform, and means for actuating the elevator and platform, substantially as specified.

5. A car-loading; device having an elevator operating in an opening in the ear-floor, a horizontally-movable platform carried by the elevator, locking' devices for the elevator operatively connected to the platform, and means for actuating said parts, substantially as specified. b.V A car-loading elevator mounted on a car and having a horizontally-movable platform adapted to be arranged in the plane of the floor of the car, locking-bolts on the frame of the elevator, diagonally-disposed guides attached to the bolts, pins depending from the platform and operating in said guides, and means for actuating said parts, substantially as specified.

7. A car-loading elevator mounted for vertical movement on a ear and having a horizontally-movable platform adapted to be arranged in the plane ofthe vear-floor, means IOC) IGS

EEO

for simultaneoiislylowering the elevator and extending or moving the platform outwardly, and vice versa, and locking-bolts mounted upon the frameof thel elevator and operatively connected with the platform to engage fixed objects on the car, whereby the return of the elevator and platform to their normal positions is accompanied by the automatic locking of the same, substantially as specified.

8. A car-loading elevator and means for imparting vertical movement thereto, extensible guides depending from the car-frame, and slides on the elevator operating in said guides, substantially as specified. 9. A car-loading elevator and means for imparting vertical movement thereto, extensible guides depending from the car-frame and having vertically-movable members, slides on the elevator mounted upon said guides and adapted to engage and depress the movable members thereof, and means on the slides for engaging said movable members of the guides to return them to their normal positions when the elevator is raised, substantially as specified.

10. A car-'loading elevator and means for imparting vertical movement thereto, extensible guides depending from the car-frame and having fixed and movable members pro-` vided with interlocking extremities, said movable members being provided With stems fitting in bores in the stationary members; means for temporarily locking the movable members in their elevated positions, and slides on the elevator for engaging and depressing the movable members of the guides,

y substantially as specified.

11. A car-loading elevator and means for imparting vertical movement thereto, extensible guides depending from the car-framel and having stationary and movable members of which the latter are mounted upon the former and are provided'at their upper extremities with lips or shoulders, trip-fingers carried by the stationary members ofthe guides, slides on the elevator mount-ed in said guides and adapted to engage and depress the movable members thereof', and paWls carried by the slides to engage said lips or shoulders on the movable members to elevate the same, said'pawls being-disengaged by said trip-fingers when the movable members reach their normal positions, substantially as specified.

l2. 'A car-loading elevator having a hori- 'zontally-movable platform, an operating mechanism for the elevator including main cylinders, pistons operating in the cylinders and having their stems connected to the elevator, an auxiliary cylinder having valved communication. with the exhaust-ports of the main'cylinders, an auxiliary piston operating in said auxiliary cylinder and having its stem connected to the platform, and valve mechanism for controlling the inlet and exhaust ports of the 'main cylinders, substantially as specified.

13. A car-loadingelevator mounted for vertical movement and having a movable platform, main cylinders having inlet and exhaust ports, valve mechanism for controlling said ports, main pistons operating in said cylinders and having tubular stems connected to the elevator, said stems being provided contiguous to the pistons with ports and communicating at their outer extremities with conveyers, an auxiliary cylinder l1 avin gvalve-v casings connected with said conveyers and including controlling-valves, and a piston operating in the auxiliary cylinder and having its stem connected to ldie platform, substantially as specified.

14. The combination with a car having opposite side door-openings, 0f elevators arranged in openingsformed in the oor of the car contiguous to said door-openings, horizontally-movable platforms carried respectively bysaid elevators and exceeding the latter in width, whereby when foldedthe platforms extend toward each other beyond the' inner sides of the elevators, and operating devices, substantially as specified.

15. A car-loading elevator having a horizontally-movable plat-form, and connected' operating devices for the elevatoi` and plat:

. form, as communicating cylinders having pistons connected respectively to the elevator and the platform, whereby the admission of motive agent to one of the cylinders causes the application of pressure tothe pistons of both cylinders, and valve mechanism for controlling the admission of motive agent, substantially as speciiied.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own l have hereto afxed my signature in the presence of tivo witnesses.

CHARLES W. 'UNDERYVOOD JOHN II. SIGGERS, llARoLD Il. SiMMs roo 

